Fluid friction reducer



Sept. 2, 1952 P. KOLLSMAN FLUID FRICTION REDUCER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June 27, 1945 INVENTOR. P4 UL [(OLLSMA /v. BY

ATTORNEK accuse;

FLUID 'ERIGTIONEREDUUERQL V I ranmousman, New York, N. Y.

Application'zlunerfl, 1945;Serial- Nt60lg9'fi'f5z v msninventiomrelates to;. n1'eans;for reducing frictinnal resistance 1 resultingr from relative movement between: solidizan'd ifluid: bodies.-

- 'Oneixibjctiofzthecinvention; is: the provision of means: for?reducingii't'he'arelativespeediof movementrbetween solidtandafiuid: bodies w-ithout re= therrabsolute speed -of movement-pf thebcdiesx. V 1

Anotheniobfjecttot the invention". is the reduc tiomofis'peediof. relative movement between fluid and solid bodies by the positioning of a freely movable member-in the-fluid-medi-um adjacent tmthesolidw-ithwhichithaszrelativeemovement.

Another object of the inventiomismo reducelth'e: frictional resistanceitoirelative rotation -.of a solid surface anda fi'uidmeditim by the positioning of a freely rotatable element' or elementsiinthefiilidlmdi lim adjacent tethe sel itl surfacea Othr objctseand features of the invention will behreadilwapparenttothose- -"skilled in the art ffbfn the specification andappended drawings il'li lstrating certainpreferred" embodiments in which-J j 7 Figure 1 1s a-transverse sectional view through a liquid pistomty-pewga-s compressor utilizing a form of frictional loss reducenaccording to the.

present invention. V v V Figure 2 is a; detail edisectional. view; on, line l I f eII bffli gllle lt a V Figure 3"is adetailed"sectionalwiew on the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view on the line IVIV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line V--V of Figure 1.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figures 1 through 5, there is provided an annular cup shaped rotor I integral with a hub 2 mounted upon a rotatable shaft 3. The rotor l is divided by a plurality of curved radial vanes 4 into a plurality of individual peripheral pockets 5, each of the pockets 5 being provided 5 being provided at its bottom surface with a pair of ports or openings 6. The rotor I is disposed within a casing I forming an elliptically shaped inner chamber shown in Figure 1. The casing chamber closely approaches the rotor I at the two sides and is spaced from the rotor at the top and bottom. There is provided an inlet port 8 connected through passages 9 and H with ports I2 communicating with the opening 6 in the bottom of L SQCI-aimsr (CL-236749) tiona-liandzits -operatiomwelll-knowna Aisnppl-yg of: liquid-1; such; as 1 water: is :,:placed-; within; the; chamben-"I andutheishaft 3;.driven-1by ;ar;mOtOI;. on other deviceato :10173136: therotor-g I This..;resu1;tsr.

'1 in: aerotation of; the liquid: within the-container;

1 .in:.;an :elliptica1pathwith the li'quidsfilling the; pockets i5;-atithe:-side;of the rchamberzandlbcingg wi-thdrawntherefromi; at the top andzbottomsofa the-chamber: sothat'. the water in: .efiectsactsiasx a.- piston withinw thezchambers: formed", by, the:

p,ock:ets .5: This-resultsiini drawing thevfl-uida gas; or.-.liquid,; which :isto be. pumpedyintogthepocketsz5: through ;,the-;0p,.enings1 l2; andiexpellingit; under;- pressure-ithroughtztheports I G te the; compresson outletsv Thelemovementof: the:,1iq-uid 'within-lthe.

casing I relative to.-.the. interion wall. thereof are"; sults in a considerable frictional lossfwhenope r":- atedi at ,hight. speeds. To lessen v this frictional loss lthereyis disposed within theachamber-l ae continuouseflexible.band I] of substantially-. thewidthiofqth'ex chamber and with-.thelength of; they'band-onlyslightlyless than the length of the-z interior surface of 'the chamber so that the band: willassumea position closely adjacent the (shame berlwa'lla The band I I is; free floating; andflfreelyarotatable as-nit; floatsdn: the liquid medium-.17 To lessen :any :tendency;for local lpressure differences? causing contactibetween pthecbandul hand the; inenerswall of thercasing :1; IIIGIBiaIGiDI'DVidEdFiDI the: casingtwallssatpair oftfluidz ductswleadingrto the? space between the band and the casing wall. These comprise cut out portions 18 in the side walls of the casing communicating with notches 9 in the inner surface of the casing and serve to maintain the band in a position spaced from the surface of the casing. While a single band I! has been shown in the drawing, it is understood that a plurality of such bands of lessening peripheral length may be used to secure a still greater reduction in the frictional loss.

With the use of a single band as shown in Figures 1 through 5, it has been found that the band I I will rotate at a speed about one-half the speed of rotation of the rotor l and that the frictiona1 resistance with respect to the inner surface of the casing 1 adjacent which the band rests is reduced to substantially one-fourth that occurring without the band since the frictional loss varies substantially as the square of the speed. These figures, of course, do not take into account variations which may occur due to local turbulences in the liquid. Also, since the rotating liquid is in contact with the side walls of the chamber formed by the casing 1, the overall frictional loss. due to the ontact of the fluid 3 with the casing walls is not reduced to the onefourth which is effected only at the irmer peripheral surface 01' the casing.

Where, in the appended claims, the introduction In a device of the class described is utilized, it is intended to cover any apparatus in which a solid surface and a fluid medium contacting the same are relatively movable.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing having a continuous curved inner peripheral surface; a fluid in said casing; means for causing relative rotative movement between said casing and fluid; and means for reducing the frictional loss sustained by said fluid at said surface, said means comprising a continuous imperforate endless band of uniform cross section disposed within said casing in said fluid closely adjacent to said surface, said band having an outer circumference'smaller than the inner peripheral length of said surface, the band thus being adapted to float in said fluid out of mechanical contact with said surface, said band being spaced from rotating mechanical parts and having freedom to rotate with respect to said casing by fluid friction drag exerted upon it by said fluid; and means in said casing for equalizing the fluid pressure on opposite surfaces of said band, whereby the band is relieved from fluid pressure acting on its interior surface.

2 In a device of the class described, a casing of elliptical cross-section; a fluid in said casing; means for revolving said fluid relative to said casing; and means for reducing the frictional loss sustained by said fluid at said casing wall comprising a flexible endless imperforate band of uniformcross section disposed in said casing in said fluid with the surface of the band immediately adjacent to and parallel to the surface of the casing, said band having an' outer circumference smaller than the inner peripheral length of said surface, the band thus being adapted to float in said fluid out of mechanical contact with said surface, said band being spaced from rotatin mechanical parts and having freedom to rotate with respect to said casing by fluid drag exerted upon it by said fluid, said band by reason of its flexibility following the elliptical contour of said casing; and a duct in said casing for equalizing the fluid pressure on opposite surfaces of said band, whereby the band is relieved from one sided fluid pressure in its passage through fluid portions of greater and less pressure.

3. In a device of the class described, a casing having a continuous curved inner peripheral surface; a fluid in said casing; means for causing relative rotative movement between said casing and fluid; and means for reducing the frictional loss sustained by said fluid at said surface, said means comprising an endless flexible imperforate band of uniform cross section disposed within said casing in said fluid closely adjacent to said surface, said band having a length sufficiently less than the length of the said surface so as to be disposed out of contact but immediately adjacent to said surface, said band being spaced from frictional contact with rotating mechanical parts and being adapted to move relatively to said casing solely by fluid drag exerted upon it by said fluid; and a duct in said casing for equalizing the fluid pressure on opposite surfaces of said band for relief of said band from one-sided fluid pressure.

PAUL KOLLSMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Nov. 4, 1933 

